Adolescence Certification

Students earn New York State certification to teach in a specific subject area for grades 7-12.

Students seeking certification in Adolescence Education choose a liberal arts major that will foster and support their own intellectual development and curiosity, and that aligns with the subject they wish to teach.

Coursework

Students who choose adolescence education will normally major in the subject area most closely related to the field they will teach. Certification in biology, chemistry, English, mathematics, physics, social studies, and Spanish is available.

Students may begin taking education courses in the first semester of their first year at Wells. Our first course, "Teaching in a Diverse Society," offers students the opportunity to spend a day in a K-12 classroom shadowing and interviewing a teacher to get a sense of what life is like "in the trenches." Students go on to take courses in areas such as inclusive education, literacy, classroom management, and multicultural education. As students move through the program, their field experiences grow more intensive and they are given multiple opportunities to work directly with students in grades 7-12. Wells education students work closely with our highly qualified education faculty throughout their time on campus in order to make sure that each student gets the most out of her/his time in the education program.

Student Teaching

Student teaching, which typically takes place during the second semester of students' senior years, is the capstone experience of the education program. Students who meet program requirements complete two student teaching placements. During each 6-7 week placement, students are mentored by cooperating teachers as they take over all aspects of classroom life: planning and delivering lessons, managing parent communication, and developing a safe, productive classroom community. One placement occurs in grades 7-9 and the other in grades 10-12. Students create a professional teaching portfolio documenting their experiences, which serves as tangible evidence of the students' growth and acquired expertise over their four years in the Wells education program.

New York State Certification Requirements

New York State requires students to take and pass the following tests in order to complete their certification: Educating All Students (EAS), Academic Literacy Skills Test (ALST), Content Specialty Test (CST) and the edTPA.